5 AM
by BethyBoo97
Summary: Sequel to Killing Me Softly. It's all in Dan's hands now, what will he decide to do? How will everything impact on Dan's friendship with Strickland? Perhaps most importantly, how will Sandra and little Olivia cope?
1. We Don't Play Around

5 AM

The weekend rolled in yet again in the French countryside. The sun was just rising yet Grace was already up, sat in front of the TV. Sandra on the other hand was still in bed, she wasn't asleep for much longer as she felt a weight launch onto her bed. Next thing she knew Olivia was laying just centimetres away from her, she'd gotten under the covers and snuggled into her mother. No words were shared between them and soon they were both drifting in and out of sleep.

"Sandra! There's someone at the door." Grace called up the stairs. Sandra leapt from her bed, grabbing her dressing gown as she did. She lived in a constant state of nervousness whenever someone knocked on the door or rang her mobile.

It had been weeks since the three generations of Pullman women hadon and the whole daddy dilemma behind. In those couple of weeks she hadn't heard a lot. Gerry text her every so often, so she knew the DNA test results were in and that he'd done what she'd asked. That was the extent of her knowledge though. She was just as clueless as she'd always been as to who Liv's father was, and for now it was better off that way. If she knew before the father had possibly done anything about it then Sandra's personal opinions may have gotten passed to Olivia, and that was the last thing she wanted. After all, she knew how important that father/daughter bond was, even if it wasn't for long.

Whoever her father was though had that choice of what to do, although Sandra was being understanding there would come a point when she could no longer wait. The plan was to give him until the end of the month to make contact, if there was none she'd ask Gerry who it was. As she'd promised, she wouldn't mind, but when the time came when Olivia was old enough to know, she wouldn't keep this from her.

Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately as she hadn't quite decided what she'd do if one of the boys turned up, it was someone who'd got the wrong house.

"Olivia, I've made you toast." Grace called up the stairs, with in seconds you could hear the light padding of small feet coming down the stairs.

"I could have done that mum." Sandra sighed.

"Well I got there first." Grace replied as she passed Olivia the plastic plate. "So what are your plans for the day Sandra?"

"I'm not sure yet, we'll see what the weather is like. I was thinking maybe shopping, Liv's outgrown her warmer weather clothes, or maybe taking her to that new adventure land place. It's an indoor soft play place. What do you think princess?"

"Adventure land!" Olivia squeeled through a mouthful of toast.

"What have I told you about talking with your mouth full?" She asked Olivia who swiftly looked away from her mother. "I think that's our day planned though, why...mum you aren't great at subtlety. What do you want?" Sandra asked her own mother.

"At least I gave it ago." Grace retorted. "Can you take me to the town hall please?"

"It's on the way, so yeah. Why do you want to go there anyway?"

"Marie and Claude invited me, they have a coffee morning and play a few games."

"Mum you hate that sort of thing!"

"I know but I don't know anyone else, plus no one else speaks English!"

"Maybe learn some French then." Grace's look in reply to Sandra's comment said it all.

"I'm going to get dressed, I said I'd be there for 11 so chop chop." Grace said before leaving in the direction of her ground floor bedroom.

"Well Granny wants us to hurry up, let's go and get you ready."

Not long later Olivia and Sandra were stood by the door, unsurprisingly waiting for Grace.

"Baby, go and tell your granny to hurry up!" Sandra told her daughter who run off in search of her granny.

"Mummy says hurry up!" Olivia told her granny who was applying more make up to her already made up face.

"I'm ready now. Let's go sweetie." Grace and Liv met Sandra in the doorway.

"Who are you trying to impress mum?!" Sandra asked, trying not to laugh.

"No one, I just want to look okay when I go out." Grace replied.

"If you say so, go and get into the car. We have ten minutes to get there and I need fuel." Sandra told her mum as she strapped Olivia into her car seat.

"Get fuel after you've dropped me off, I don't want to be late." Sandra sighed, she didn't want the argument with her mother so decided to give in to her wishes and dropped Grace off at dead on 11 o'clock.

"Are you ready to go and play? We're meeting Uncle Max at the play centre too baby." Sandra told her daughter as she looked at her through the mirror.

"Yeah!"


	2. Decisions, Decisions I

He woke up to the sun pouring in through his bedroom window. The brightness outside indicated it being later than the time he usually woke up. It was in fact nearing midday, this wasn't unusual nowadays for Dan. Ever since he'd been given the news, he'd lived a life as a wreck, it was a life of plenty of alcohol and not turning up to work. Strickland knew the circumstances but as Sasha and Dan were in a relationship, Sasha was doing her best to pretend that he was ill. It was a lie that no one believed but after the events leading up to it, no one questioned.

"Danny? I'm home baby, I took a half day." Sasha called as she opened the front door and ran up the stairs to find that he was still in bed. She took of her heeled boots and joined him in bed. "I don't like seeing you like this, talk to me baby. Please." She begged.  
"I don't know what to do, if I get involved now then everything is going to change and if I don't, Olivia may grow up up hate me." Dan told her.  
"Fair enough my two boys are older but if their dad didn't want to see them anymore then they'd be devastated. See one parent is fine for a child growing up, especially if that's all they've ever known. You have to do what you think is best and then I'll support you through it, whatever happens. It's not going to be easy to decide and I appreciate that but that little girl will cope either way. They're very adaptable and accepting at that age. Whatever you do though, I know this can't go on. Fair enough you had a major bombshell dropped on you but alcohol and staying in bed is not going to help, if anything it's going to cloud your decision. While you're deciding we need to get back to some degree of normality." Sasha told him, she was right though. It was a decision that no one else could make for him, it was solely down to him. It was a scary thought, and one which left him responsible for any consequences that came from it.

Dan said nothing as he climbed out of bed and walked into their en suite.  
"What are you doing baby?" Sasha called, the worry evident in her voice.  
"Sorting myself out." He replied as he shaved the beginnings of a beard that was appearing on his face, off. "Where's my flannel?" He called again not long later.  
"In the cupboard where it usually is." Sasha called back from her position in bed, where she was flicking through Facebook and found Sandra. She quickly sent her a friend request as Dan walked through again.

"That's better, I can kiss you again without getting scratched!"  
"Yeah, how about I go and pick the boys up for once?"  
"That depends on how much alcohol you've had."  
"I haven't touched a drop in a couple of days, I've spent most of my days sleeping."  
"Okay then, I'll start sorting some tea." Sasha replied as her phone beeped telling her that Sandra had accepted her friend request.  
"Who's that?" Dan asked curiously.  
"Just another gaming request on Facebook, nothing important. Make sure you get the boys from the right classrooms and don't be late for them!" Sasha lied and then casually changed the subject.  
"Yeah I'm going. Bye."  



End file.
